Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I'm happy to report that fantastic Brit thrill-pop fivesome Shrag have finished recording their new album Canines which is now set for release in May via WIAIWYA and Fortuna POP! Instead of returning to the studio with Morrissey drummer Woodie Taylor – who did a bang-up job of producing Shrag's 2009 self-titled debut and 2010's critically praised Life! Death! Prizes! – they've decided to give Andy Miller a shot after listening to some stuff by Mogwai and Sons and Daughters, Based on the strings-enhanced sound of the first leaked track Chasing Consummations, it seems like a mature step forward for Brighton's finest.

Songwriter Helen King elaborates: "We wrote Canines between January and August this year in a long series of slightly fevered evenings ensconced in the shed at the bottom of Bob's garden. It's a pop record about bones and skin and cities and compulsions and love and confusion. It's a bit strange, but you can dance to some of it, and it makes a particular kind of sense to us, which feels very exciting."
In advance of Canines' May release, Shrag is putting out a limited-run split seven on February 20 with tourmates Tunabunny once called "The greatest band from Atlanta since Pylon" by Everett True who apparently is unaware that both Tunabunny and Pylon are from Athens. In any case, Davy Love will be delighted.
Tunabunny's contribution to the coveted vinyl gem is Locusts, described as "a song about destruction and unwanted guests, those who ravage the dead soil for their personal and political gain." On the flipside, Shrag offer their timely Olympic-themed Tendons In The Night which they call “a voyeuristic ode to the pursuit of gymnastic perfection" adding "but we doubt very much it will be sanctioned by the IOC." Only 500 copies are being pressed. You can mailorder a copy right here.

Helen King responds: "Tim once did a phone interview with us for Toronto's NOW Magazine when we were doing a small tour of the east coast of the US and a couple of Toronto shows.
At the time Bob, Steph, Leigh Anne and I were out of our minds in our bedbug-ridden Manhattan hostel having stayed up all night at some party and then somehow commandeered a limo to drive us across Brooklyn Bridge at 8am, whilst we shouted out of the window at everyone (see incriminating photo, right).
He not only tolerated our intensely irritating responses to his questions. We thought it was hilarious to repeatedly ask him if he knew Dan Aykroyd, cos, you know, he's Canadian. Also Steph told him she was going to break his legs or something but wrote a nice article about us, came to our shows and now he did this post about our new album. Thank you Tim... and sorry."